Guess Woodward's next press leak/briefing

[Eric's Seagull]

Well, back in the day, we won EVERYTHING. So it could be argued that we already had one of the best squads in the World and so weren't desperate for signings.
These days however, we are nowhere near having a good squad. Hence, fans are getting desperate for new signings....which IMO, won't be coming in January.
Woodward is trying to save money and it makes no sense for him to not spend last Summer, but spend in the following Winter. It really makes no sense to do this.

Think you could be right about no signings coming this window. Although I hope you are wrong.

Completely agree with your part in bold and that is why I think we should have spent more in the summer and I think we would be in a better situation than we are in now.

 

[crossy1686]

Think you could be right about no signings coming this window. Although I hope you are wrong.

Completely agree with your part in bold and that is why I think we should have spent more in the summer and I think we would be in a better situation than we are in now.

It's not about spending more, it's about getting the right players. Some clubs just don't want to sell, no matter the fee, because for them it's harder to replace the player. Why would a team like Leicester or Wolves give up their players to us for money when they can just keep them and finish above us in the table? Doing that is better for the club than being our feeder club.

If we can't get the right players in over this window then I'd rather wait until the summer and get the players we need in, not the players that are available.

 

[Member 119614]

Spending. The Caf's favorite word, the solution to our problems, the savior of the season. Money equals success in football, in life, in general. Let's spend and forget our problems, we buy to make ourselves happy for a short time, we reward ourselves because we feel bad. We create debt because of all our insecurities. Life is miserable and it should continue to be so, it's the only way to keep the economy from a stand still.

So please Utd buy some more players we don't need, let's buy an aging player who will supposedly bring experience, let's buy another young one too to please the fans, the fans are hungry, let's feed them so they can create new enemies. I say let's wait it out till summer, we can't retake our throne mid season, we will start our surge in the season of hope and growth.

 

[laughtersassassin]

Spending. The Caf's favorite word, the solution to our problems, the savior of the season. Money equals success in football, in life, in general. Let's spend and forget our problems, we buy to make ourselves happy for a short time, we reward ourselves because we feel bad. We create debt because of all our insecurities. Life is miserable and it should continue to be so, it's the only way to keep the economy from a stand still.

So please Utd buy some more players we don't need, let's buy an aging player who will supposedly bring experience, let's buy another young one too to please the fans, the fans are hungry, let's feed them so they can create new enemies. I say let's wait it out till summer, we can't retake our throne mid season, we will start our surge in the season of hope and growth.

My word. Where to even start with this.... Naive is what I will say.

Probably find someone saying the exact same thing last season and believing it. Can't just keep kicking the can down the road. Also, it is not signing for the sake of signing, Our squad is threadbare and we knew we needed more additions last summer so it is not absurd to say a real club would probably have lined up some business for Jan.

 

[Eric's Seagull]

It's not about spending more, it's about getting the right players. Some clubs just don't want to sell, no matter the fee, because for them it's harder to replace the player. Why would a team like Leicester or Wolves give up their players to us for money when they can just keep them and finish above us in the table? Doing that is better for the club than being our feeder club.

If we can't get the right players in over this window then I'd rather wait until the summer and get the players we need in, not the players that are available.

I can understand why teams would not want to sell their best players to us when they are competing for Europe themselves. There is no point in them selling us a player if they can't bring in a decent replacement
So that leaves us in an awkward position to try to be able to get in the right type of players at this point in the season. Which is annoying as we need strengthening.

I fully agree with your part in bold rather than just buying unnecessary players. Maybe we could get some players on loan just to cover us until the right players become available in the summer.

 

[Member 119614]

My word. Where to even start with this.... Naive is what I will say.

Probably find someone saying the exact same thing last season and believing it. Can't just keep kicking the can down the road. Also, it is not signing for the sake of signing, Our squad is threadbare and we knew we needed more additions last summer so it is not absurd to say a real club would probably have lined up some business for Jan.

That is exactly what it is, signing for the sake of singing. It's what Utd have been doing for 7 straight years. It is threadbare because deadwood is being removed, it's no use adding new deadwood. That's what you get in January on the transfer market, deadwood.
The fact that we were in for Haaland proves nothing is learned by the board. Strikers are the least of our concern. I hope secretly Ole vetoed that signing because that would mean he knows what he is doing.

 

[Fox outside the box]

That is exactly what it is, signing for the sake of singing. It's what Utd have been doing for 7 straight years. It is threadbare because deadwood is being removed, it's no use adding new deadwood. That's what you get in January on the transfer market, deadwood.
The fact that we were in for Haaland proves nothing is learned by the board. Strikers are the least of our concern. I hope secretly Ole vetoed that signing because that would mean he knows what he is doing.

There are signings made in January that show it isn't just deadwood that gets signed at all. We've got a few ourselves that show signings after the season start have turned out fairly OK....

Also, your last sentence is incredibly patronising and I'd be interested in what qualifies you to make that sort of statement?

The whole post is a bit of a train wreck to be honest.

 

[Member 119614]

There are signings made in January that show it isn't just deadwood that gets signed at all. We've got a few ourselves that show signings after the season start have turned out fairly OK....

Also, your last sentence is incredibly patronising and I'd be interested in what qualifies you to make that sort of statement?

The whole post is a bit of a train wreck to be honest.

Why is it patronizing that I trust the manager? He chose youth, finally our youth setup is being used. I presume he will take 3 or 4 out of the bunch to keep in the squad and during the summer transfer window he will fill in the gaps that he couldn't close with the youth system.
Why spend money in January, big names are unaivalable and what good would buying a lesser player do for Utd this season? It would mean less playtime for youth players and less opportunity for Ole to see what they are really capable of.

I feel like a train wreck so possible it shows in my posts, I'm working on it ;-)

 

[JoaquinJoaquin]

Personally I don't think there is money for Ole to use in both January and Summer, it is one or the other. Hence the excuses starting early.

 

[fen4e]

I could really use a sponsorship announcement to lift my spirits right now.

We’ve partnered with that VR company that does headsets for cows so they can see green fields when they’re actually in confined spaces. Every matchday going fan will be provided with a headset that shows a classic United game from the Fergie era instead of having to watch the dross going on in front of them.

 

[Johan07]

Why is it patronizing that I trust the manager? He chose youth, finally our youth setup is being used. I presume he will take 3 or 4 out of the bunch to keep in the squad and during the summer transfer window he will fill in the gaps that he couldn't close with the youth system.
Why spend money in January, big names are unaivalable and what good would buying a lesser player do for Utd this season? It would mean less playtime for youth players and less opportunity for Ole to see what they are really capable of.

I feel like a train wreck so possible it shows in my posts, I'm working on it ;-)

You should not be ashamed of posting reason in threads like these. Well done.

 

[Kostur]

Since we've had a Bruno briefing then I guess it's the high time for the next one and boy is there a better occasion to do it than after losing to Liverpool. So, should that scenario pan out, and we don't unveil Bruno jumping out of a fecking santa's bag at Anfield after the game, my bet would be going back to the DOF route so we'll hear how close we are to getting a new DOF for the 149558438917th time.

Note: loss against dippers could also just force Woody to shut his mouth and pay whatever it is for Bruno.

 

[JoaquinJoaquin]

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Funny timing how this has came out again after the bad Bruno news and before a potential defeat to Liverpool

 

[Godfather]

Will be Ole post match Pool telling us he has the funds and the backing from the board if the right player becomes available.

 

[gica_7]

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Funny timing how this has came out again after the bad Bruno news and before a potential defeat to Liverpool

Also after the fans start to show discontent visibly. Woodward really believes we are bunch of idiots.

 

[laughtersassassin]

This is becoming beyond frustrating and beyond a joke.

So many of our best players injured. Pogba Radford mcTominay.

We clearly had next to no plan coming into Jan. Like we could have negotiated for Bruno for months.

Ole doesn't seem to be pushing him much. We are selling are deadwood sure but not replacing any of them. What we at under Ole 8 first team players gone and 3 in? That is not sustainable.

Like its just do disappointing. Top 4 is there to be had and we are basically throwing it away on purpose.

 

[cyberman]

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Funny timing how this has came out again after the bad Bruno news and before a potential defeat to Liverpool

Thats not a briefing for feck sake

 

[Acole9]

Thats not a briefing for feck sake

Yeah this whole briefing the press/leak thing is getting tiresome and is a load of bollocks.

 

[Wayne's World]

We'll be announcing we are close to signing Grealish or Maddison for X amount of money tomorrow when we get hammered 6-0 by Liverpool today

 

[Web of Bissaka]

The usual

• We are "looking for DoF".
• Praise club's history "Club is great"
• Link with United way/identity
• Back manager "Ole doing a good job"
• Lowering down expectations "it's a process of building, transition"
• Brief vague transfers "we are always looking for good players with certain qualities"
• Praise departments especially magnify recent new "changes" eh. Scout, "we have improve..."
• Oh and lavishly praise the Utd women's team and Ed to mention his good support in that project.
• "Spend wisely" is the most important.
• "money is always there"
• "Profit has been continue to increase..."

 

[DomesticTadpole]

The usual

• We are "looking for DoF".
• Praise club's history "Club is great"
• Link with United way/identity
• Back manager "Ole doing a good job"
• Lowering down expectations "it's a process of building, transition"
• Brief vague transfers "we are always looking for good players with certain qualities"
• Praise departments especially magnify recent new "changes" eh. Scout, "we have improve..."
• Oh and lavishly praise the Utd women's team and Ed to mention his good support in that project.
• "Spend wisely" is the most important.
• "money is always there"
• "Profit has been continue to increase..."

"We have a new partnership with ( some obscure company that everyone has to scramble to Google to find out what they are)"

 

[JoaquinJoaquin]

Thats not a briefing for feck sake

So when various media outlets are saying that same thing it's wrong? Righttt

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[RORY65]

So when various media outlets are saying that same thing it's wrong? Righttt

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They're all just quoting the Sun in fairness. This isn't like the Haaland deal not going through due to agents fees and the release clause or us not wanting Fernandes in the summer due to him being slack in possession which looked like briefings, this is just outlets reporting another paper's story.

 

[cyberman]

So when various media outlets are saying that same thing it's wrong? Righttt

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Quoting one source.
I saw a nothing story broken in Italy by an obscure outlet quoted as a brief on here so this forum has lost all meaning of the word.

 

[JoaquinJoaquin]

Quoting one source.
I saw a nothing story broken in Italy by an obscure outlet quoted as a brief on here so this forum has lost all meaning of the word.

So you don't think it's strange how this story has popped back up after nearly a year, literally one day after the bad Bruno news and on the cusp of potentially a big defeat to Liverpool?

 

[Fluctuation0161]

Also after the fans start to show discontent visibly. Woodward really believes we are bunch of idiots.

We are.

Should have been kicking off years ago.

 

[Suedesi]

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Like clockwork...

 

[mav_9me]

Next briefing will be
1. Focusing on youth and long term
2. Dont want to spend now to regret later. no value in Jan.
3. Looking into DOF to spearhead recruitment in summer

You see this in american sports a lot of the time. So many teams content with incoming revenue, dont give a shit about winning. All the teams have a face to present to media usually the GM who is giving BS answers. Woodward is that guy here. He is paid to take the flak/ire while the owners rake in the money till they sell the team. And he doesn't even do interviews.

Only way to change is supporters boycotting games. And thats not going to happen. singing those admittedly nasty songs every game might make them feel bad a bit but not going to change shit.

 

[Rhyme Animal]

I think they might be looking for a cheap signing (striker) to give themselves some leeway until the Summer...

I reckon out of the blue we'll start hearing that we're in for someone who's more or less a mid-table level CF, for around 15-25m.

The signing will be done swiftly and without much build-up and it'll just be enough to swing the fanbase back into the 'well, lets give this til the end of the season' mindset.

 

[Denis79]

I think they might be looking for a cheap signing (striker) to give themselves some leeway until the Summer...

I reckon out of the blue we'll start hearing that we're in for someone who's more or less a mid-table level CF, for around 15-25m.

The signing will be done swiftly and without much build-up and it'll just be enough to swing the fanbase back into the 'well, lets give this til the end of the season' mindset.

And then half of our fanbase will build him up as one of the best, the other half will feel the opposite. Can't wait for all those threads!

 

[Rhyme Animal]

And then half of our fanbase will build him up as one of the best, the other half will feel the opposite. Can't wait for all those threads!

Probably! Although if whoever it is hit the ground running (as players often do at Utd - Rom, Dan James, Zlatan) and starts banging them in it might be enough to get 4th - in which case, although I still won't be into him as a manager, I'd have to say that Ole would've earned another season.

That's just my guess anyway.

It's just that the only way this season will be salvaged is with goals, and now that Rashford's injured, buying a striker is really their only hope of getting something from the season - and, it can be done for less money than Bruno would cost...

Or maybe they'll buy both! Who knows.

They've backed Solskjaer now in the media, and we're in the middle of a transfer window, with an injury crisis in the squad and the fans are at their door asking for more - they simply have to do something to back him financially!

I reckon a striker, a pure CF, but someone pretty cheap.

 

[Bobcat]

Probably! Although if whoever it is hit the ground running (as players often do at Utd - Rom, Dan James, Zlatan) and starts banging them in it might be enough to get 4th - in which case, although I still won't be into him as a manager, I'd have to say that Ole would've earned another season.

That's just my guess anyway.

It's just that the only way this season will be salvaged is with goals, and now that Rashford's injured, buying a striker is really their only hope of getting something from the season - and, it can be done for less money than Bruno would cost...

Or maybe they'll buy both! Who knows.

They've backed Solskjaer now in the media, and we're in the middle of a transfer window, with an injury crisis in the squad and the fans are at their door asking for more - they simply have to do something to back him financially!

I reckon a striker, a pure CF, but someone pretty cheap.

Its the same shite that happened with Jose. Gets a new contract and loads of praise, gets backed verbally, but when its being talked about actually putting money on the table the backing suddenly stops.

Granted he could have handled it better, but in my opinion at least Jose was not the villain many people painted him to be. He was understandably frustrated

 

[Fridge chutney]

Woodward doesn't want to sign anyone because Ole will get canned and we will get Poch. Clear as day. But he can't brief the press on this.

 

[Jericholyte2]

Just waiting for the summer when the briefing will be that they couldn’t start negotiating any deals until after the Euros which was why we only signed two players (hypothetically speaking of course).

 

[Rhyme Animal]

Its the same shite that happened with Jose. Gets a new contract and loads of praise, gets backed verbally, but when its being talked about actually putting money on the table the backing suddenly stops.

Granted he could have handled it better, but in my opinion at least Jose was not the villain many people painted him to be. He was understandably frustrated

Completely agree.

Mourinho is our best manager since Fergie imo. He handled the meltdown like a madman, of course, but he won us trophies, highest PL finish and called out Woodward.

Saying that, he wasn't the right manager to lead us forward and build the club back up.

 

[Suedesi]

Woodward doesn't want to sign anyone because Ole will get canned and we will get Poch. Clear as day. But he can't brief the press on this.

Well why the feck doesn't Woodward do it now? Paying the managers off is certainly way better than writing off the entire season which is where things are headed currently. We easily risk losing 70-80 mill in revenue missing out on CL football.

 

[Fridge chutney]

Well why the feck doesn't Woodward do it now? Paying the managers off is certainly way better than writing off the entire season which is where things are headed currently. We easily risk losing 70-80 mill in revenue missing out on CL football.

Because he's a dithering clown.

 

[Alabaster Codify7]

I'm guessing:

Monday 27th - "United stand firm, refuse to be fleeced in the market"

Deadline day - "same as above but with added - Ole only wants players with United DNA and Ed fully backs his vision"

Day after deadline day - "DOF in the pipeline to oversee a summer warchest"

 

[Fitchett]

Ed Woodward to star in a remake of the 1973 cult classic film, "The Wicker Man". Closing scene to show the sacrifice from the original film, but with the Glazers' Ed, not the Edward Woodward from the original film, accompanied by the Stretford End singing "Build a bonfire".

 

[HJ12]

"We're remaining true to our values." Still trying to figure out what the heck that means.